My father is Chongzhen? Then I have no choice but to rebel.

Chapter 240 This Ming Dynasty is just too damn hard to save!

Inside the Wenhua Hall, there was a sudden, eerie silence!
Zhu Cilang was truly shocked!
Zhu Cilang could understand that the poor and refugees, due to their dire living conditions and lack of food and clothing, would freeze to death on the streets in the cold winter, and he had long been mentally prepared for this.

After all, ancient times were different from modern times, so it's understandable that such things could happen.

But then again, how could the soldiers stationed in the capital, who had winter supplies such as cotton-padded clothes and coal provided by the imperial court, freeze to death? This is utterly absurd!

"what on earth is it?"

Zhu Cilang muttered to himself in a low voice, his face full of disbelief.

The next second, he turned his head sharply, his eyes blazing, and stared straight at Li Banghua.

In his view, Li Banghua, as the Minister of War, was in charge of military defense in the capital and other regions, and should be well aware of the situation and the hidden story behind it.

At the same time, Li Banghua had already stood up.

His expression was solemn, and he spoke in a low but clear voice:

"Your Highness, this is absolutely true, and there is no falsehood in it."

"Although the imperial court allocates cotton-padded clothing and coal for heating to the Beijing garrison and other soldiers stationed in Beijing every year, these life-saving supplies are embezzled by officials and eunuchs during the distribution process."

"Only a very small number actually reached the hands of the soldiers."

Li Banghua's voice grew increasingly heavy, tinged with heartache:
"This is why soldiers often freeze to death, and countless others suffer from frostbite."

"Many soldiers suffered severe frostbite on their hands and feet, making it difficult for them to even take care of themselves, let alone fight."

"Furthermore, the situation in the Nine Garrisons and Liaodong is even more severe."

"Because the imperial court's finances have been in deficit for many years, it has not issued new winter clothing to the soldiers for a long time, making it difficult for many soldiers to withstand the biting cold."

"Although the imperial court occasionally transported coal to Liaodong, the journey was long and the losses along the way were enormous, making it impossible to guarantee that every soldier in Liaodong could successfully survive the winter."

"In fact, the mortality rate of soldiers in Liaodong and the Nine Borders was even higher in winter. It is roughly estimated that one in ten would suffer from frostbite or freeze to death."

"It is precisely because of these considerations that I plan to prioritize changing the winter uniforms for the soldiers in Liaodong and the Nine Garrisons this year, so as to ensure that they can get through the winter safely."

Upon hearing these words, Zhu Cilang fell into complete silence, his face clouded with gloom, and his breathing became rapid.

He never imagined that the matter would become so serious.

Not only did the local soldiers in the capital freeze to death in the cold winter, but the situation in Liaodong was even more shocking, with one in ten people freezing to death or suffering from frostbite.

The soldiers risked their lives to protect their country, which was already incredibly difficult. They never expected that they would face the threat of freezing to death in the winter. How could Zhu Cilang accept this?
The next second, Zhu Cilang could no longer suppress his anger and shouted sharply:
"Somebody come!"

The sound was like a booming bell, echoing in the hall for a long time, making people's eardrums hurt.

As soon as he finished speaking, two burly generals in heavy armor strode into the hall with steady steps.

The armor clashed together, producing a crisp sound.

The two knelt down before Zhu Cilang with a thud, cupped their hands and said:

"Chen is here!"

Zhu Cilang's gaze was sharp as a knife as he coldly stared at the two men, and he ordered, word by word:
"Issue the imperial decree: immediately order the Embroidered Uniform Guard to investigate the deaths and injuries of soldiers in the capital from frostbite last year. If anyone is found to have embezzled, regardless of their rank or status, execute them on the spot and confiscate all their property!"

The two burly generals were startled upon hearing this. Why were they suddenly going to kill someone again?

But they quickly realized what was happening and hurriedly responded:
"I obey!"

He then quickly got up and hurriedly retreated.

Clearly, Zhu Cilang was truly enraged this time.

Upon seeing this, Ni Yuanlu and Li Banghua exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with worry.

They were well aware of the seriousness of the matter, but Zhu Cilang's swift and decisive actions and his indiscriminate killing made them uneasy.

However, seeing Zhu Cilang's angry face, the two swallowed their words and stood silently to the side.

For a moment, a tense and oppressive atmosphere filled the air, making it hard to breathe.

After a moment, Zhu Cilang took a few deep breaths, trying to calm the surging anger within him, and his tone softened considerably:
"Please sit down, both of you. I was just too angry for a moment."

"Let's continue to discuss how to deal with this matter."

After hearing this, the two carefully sat down again.

Zhu Cilang first turned his gaze to Ni Yuanlu, and then asked:

How much cotton does the Ming Dynasty produce each year?

Ni Yuanlu answered respectfully:

"Your Highness, the main cotton-producing areas of our Great Ming Dynasty are now concentrated in the Jiangnan region, such as Songjiang Prefecture, Suzhou Prefecture, and Changzhou Prefecture."

"Cotton is also grown in northern regions, including Shandong, Henan, and Beizhili. In addition, cotton is also grown in parts of Huguang and Shaanxi."

"However, in recent years, the north has suffered from continuous natural disasters and bandits have ravaged the country, causing a sharp decline in cotton production in the north, which is now less than one-tenth of what it used to be."

"Due to His Majesty's previous increase in taxes, many people in the Jiangnan region have switched from cotton to grain in order to make a living. Therefore, the annual cotton planting area is now less than ten million mu."

"Based on a yield of 20 jin per mu, the annual output is approximately 200 million jin."

Two hundred million jin, which is two hundred million jin!

Zhu Cilang nodded slightly, secretly calculating in his heart that this amount of cotton was far from enough to meet the current needs of the Ming Dynasty.

Because the Ming Dynasty currently has a registered population of 90 million, and if you include those who are not registered, the population is at least around 200 million.

On average, each person only gets one pound of cotton!
Moreover, most of this cotton is used to make cloth, and only a small portion is used as stuffing for winter.

In other words, the average amount of meat actually used for winter survival is probably less than half a pound per person!
Therefore, Zhu Cilang dared not think any further.
He could only continue to press:
Where does all this cotton ultimately end up?

Ni Yuanlu continued:
"Half of them flowed into the textile industry in Jiangnan, where they were made into cloth and sold throughout the Ming Dynasty."

About 30% of the produce goes to the market, where people use it to make winter clothes and stuff quilts.

The remaining 20% ​​was used to pay taxes, which were paid in two ways: in cash and in kind. However, due to rampant tax evasion in the past, the amount of cotton collected in kind was very small, less than one million catties last year.

"This year, because the imperial court collected back taxes, it collected approximately three million catties."

"However, even so, it is still far from enough. According to my statistics, the capital, the nine border regions, and Liaodong all need at least six million catties of cotton."

"This does not include the needs of the people in Liaodong. If we include theirs, at least eight million catties of cotton will be needed to get through this winter smoothly."

"In addition, Sun Chuanting's troops in Shaanxi, Zuo Liangyu's troops in Henan, and other garrisons also need cotton to get through the winter. All in all, they need at least ten million catties!"

Ten million catties may not seem like much, since it only accounts for one-twentieth of the total cotton production, but obtaining ten million catties of cotton is not an easy task.

Since the amount of cotton produced each year is fixed and all of it is taxed, the imperial court has to find other ways to obtain more cotton.

Inside the Wenhua Hall, the sandalwood incense from the gilded incense burner rises gently, and sunlight streams in through the carved window lattices, casting dappled shadows on the dragon-and-phoenix-carved floor.

Zhu Cilang frowned and paced back and forth in the hall. His footsteps on the blue bricks made a crisp and rapid sound, as if they were echoing the anxiety in his heart.

Originally, Zhu Cilang believed that after winning the Battle of Songjin, the Ming Dynasty would see the light at the end of the tunnel and everything would go smoothly.

Everything proceeded smoothly and according to plan.

But the cruel reality struck him like a heavy hammer blow.

A barrage of problems came crashing down on him, one after another, leaving him overwhelmed and unable to solve them one by one as he had initially planned.

Right now, the urgent issue is getting through the winter.

Although it was August, at first glance there seemed to be plenty of time.

However, don't forget that the Ming Dynasty is currently in the Little Ice Age, with an exceptionally cold climate, and there is a high probability of heavy snowfall around October.

So, if you do the math, you only have less than two months to prepare.

Within these short two months, not only must the cotton be purchased, but it must also be made into winter clothing and transported to various places in a timely manner.

If winter clothing cannot be delivered to the soldiers within two months, then several months later, the tragic news of soldiers freezing to death on the frontier may come one after another.

Thinking of this, Zhu Cilang felt a tightness in his chest!

This Ming Dynasty is just too damn hard to save!

Actually, solving the cotton problem was quite simple for Zhu Cilang. Don't forget, he's a man with a system!

Just now, Zhu Cilang had carefully compared the price of cotton in the system's shop.

Then he was surprised to find that the price of cotton in the system's mall was almost the same as the current market price in the Ming Dynasty.

Therefore, it seems that the cotton problem may be solved with the help of the system.

However, Zhu Cilang certainly couldn't do that!
According to Ni Yuanlu, to completely solve the cotton needs of the armies in the Nine Border Regions, Liaodong, Beijing, Henan, and Shaanxi, at least ten million catties of cotton need to be prepared.

However, the cotton reserves in the Ministry of Revenue's warehouses are only a mere three million catties, resulting in a shortfall of seven million catties.

Although Zhu Cilang could easily exchange for these seven million catties of cotton thanks to the system.

But he knew in his heart that if he really did that, it would definitely cause a huge uproar.

After all, that's a whopping seven million catties of cotton!

How will I explain this to everyone then?
Therefore, even if you really want to buy cotton from the system, you can't buy seven million catties all at once.

Otherwise, it will inevitably cause a lot of trouble.

While Zhu Cilang was pondering this matter, Ni Yuanlu and Li Banghua sat quietly below.

Their eyes followed Zhu Cilang's every step, filled with anticipation. In their minds, this Crown Prince was always resourceful and capable of devising ingenious solutions to various predicaments.

Perhaps this time we can come up with a way to resolve this thorny crisis?

After a moment, Zhu Cilang finally came up with a solution and stopped walking.

His gaze was sharp as he swept over Ni Yuanlu and Li Banghua in turn, finally settling on Ni Yuanlu.

"How much cotton does the Ministry of Revenue currently have in its inventory?"

Ni Yuanlu moved swiftly, stepping forward and respectfully bowing in response:

"Your Highness, I have already conducted a thorough investigation. The Ministry of Revenue currently has approximately 3.3 million catties of cotton in stock."

Zhu Cilang nodded slightly, turned his gaze to Li Banghua, and asked further:

"In your opinion, can these 3.3 million catties of cotton meet the needs of each soldier in Liaodong and the Nine Border Garrisons for two sets of cotton clothing?"

Li Banghua quickly stood up and said:

"Your Highness, I believe it should be sufficient."

"Because the local people in Liaodong and Jiubian have always had a tradition of growing cotton, although not much, it can still make up for some of the shortfall."

"With the addition of these 3.3 million catties of cotton, it should be enough to meet the soldiers' needs for winter."

However, upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang did not feel particularly gratified. Instead, his brows furrowed even more, and he continued to ask:

"The soldiers and officers of the Nine Garrisons and Liaodong have cotton and supplies distributed by the imperial court to withstand the cold winter, but what about the ordinary people? How are they supposed to get through the winter?"

Before Li Banghua could answer, Ni Yuanlu interrupted, saying:
"Your Highness, in reality, most ordinary people do not rely on cotton to get through the winter."

"Ordinary people often use straw and scraps of cloth to fill their clothes, and some also use a mixture of willow catkins and hemp cloth as a substitute for cotton."

"In addition, Liaodong is close to Mongolia, and the people would also buy wool and cow hair to stuff their clothes."

"It's just that these materials are far less warm and more widely used than cotton."

Zhu Cilang nodded and continued to ask:
"But even so, it's still difficult to prevent some people from freezing to death, right?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Ni Yuanlu and Li Banghua fell silent.

Because they know that's indeed the case!

In their minds, it was practically impossible for anyone to freeze to death in the harsh winter.

In fact, Zhu Cilang was well aware of this.
But deep down he still hoped to do his best to reduce civilian casualties.

Seeing that the two people in front of him had stopped talking, Zhu Cilang then revealed his true purpose.

"In that case, all 3.3 million catties of cotton from the Ministry of Revenue will be transported to the Nine Borders and Liaodong, and winter uniforms will be made for the local officers and soldiers, with two sets per person."

what?
Upon hearing this, Ni Yuanlu's eyes widened instantly, her face filled with shock.

All my earnest advice and attempts to persuade you have been completely ignored and have had no effect whatsoever.
He had repeatedly emphasized that the cotton needed to meet the winter needs of the soldiers in the Nine Border Garrisons and Liaodong, as well as the winter needs of the capital.

But now Zhu Cilang's decision, while it may allow the soldiers in Liaodong and the Nine Borders to get through the winter in peace, what should be done about the capital?
Even if the high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital could purchase cotton on their own with their abundant wealth, what about the nearly 200,000 soldiers in the capital?

They bear the heavy responsibility of protecting the capital. If they freeze in the cold winter, how can the safety of the capital be guaranteed?
Thinking of this, Ni Yuanlu couldn't wait to offer her advice.

However, Zhu Cilang seemed to sense his intention, raised his hand to stop him, and said in a calm tone:
"Let me finish speaking first. I have a proper solution to this matter."

Helpless, Ni Yuanlu had no choice but to swallow back the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

Li Banghua stood aside, equally worried.

Because he knew that what Ni Yuanlu said was true, and if all the cotton were really transported to the Nine Borders and Liaodong, the capital would definitely be in trouble.

But seeing Zhu Cilang's confident demeanor, he also chose to remain silent, secretly hoping that the young crown prince would give a satisfactory answer.

Zhu Cilang continued:
"Now that it has been decided to make new clothes for the soldiers of the Nine Garrisons and Liaodong, their old clothes can be put to good use."

"At that time, the imperial court can issue an order to collect all their old cotton-padded clothes at a reasonable price."

"Then the old cotton is broken up again and made into quilts, cotton-padded coats and other warm clothing, which are then sold to the local people at a low price."

"Will this alleviate the problem of local people getting through the winter?"

Ni Yuanlu and Li Banghua's eyes lit up instantly upon hearing this.

They had actually considered recycling old cotton-padded clothes before, but at the time they thought of asking the officers and soldiers directly for them.

After all, the imperial court has given you new clothes, so recycling the old clothes is quite reasonable, right?
But while this sounds simple, it's not so simple to actually carry it out.

Firstly, there was no precedent for this in the Ming Dynasty.

Acting rashly could very likely provoke discontent among officers and soldiers.

Secondly, in ancient times, cotton was considered a precious resource, and even if soldiers received new clothes, they would leave their old cotton clothes for their families to use.

It's worth noting that a full set of cotton-padded clothing for an average soldier could provide enough warmth for two or three people during the winter.

But now Zhu Cilang proposed to spend money to buy the soldiers' old cotton-padded clothes, which can be described as killing two birds with one stone.

With the support of the imperial court's decree and the subsidies in real money, the officers and soldiers naturally wouldn't resist too much.

Upon realizing this, Ni Yuanlu and Li Banghua quickly clasped their hands in praise:
"Your Highness is wise!"

"In this way, the winter needs of the local people can indeed be guaranteed!"

Zhu Cilang was not pleased by the flattery from his two ministers. Instead, he sighed slightly and continued:

"I am also aware that this measure alone may not be enough to solve all the problems. Therefore, the Ministry of Revenue can allocate some more silver to purchase large quantities of old cotton from Liaodong and the Nine Border Regions."

"After reprocessing and manufacturing, we will sell them to the local people at a low price, making sure that every person has a set of clothes to get through the winter."

"Even if we act in this way, many people will still suffer misfortune in the cold winter, but this is the best solution that the court can do at present."

Li Banghua and Ni Yuanlu nodded silently, agreeing with Zhu Cilang's words.

Immediately afterwards, Zhu Cilang turned his gaze to Ni Yuanlu and continued:

"As for the wintering situation in Beijing and Shaanxi and Henan, we can proceed in two steps."

"First, in the name of the imperial court, new cotton from the people will be purchased without disrupting cotton market prices."

"Secondly, the government purchased large quantities of old cotton from the people, including old cotton from the Beijing Garrison, the Five Guards of Tengxiang, and the surrounding garrisons. The government paid for the recycling, reprocessed the cotton, and then sold it to the local people."

"Based on your estimate, after this operation, how much cotton would we still need?"

Ni Yuanlu lowered his head in thought, quickly calculating in his mind, before bowing and reporting:

"Your Highness, according to my estimation, if this is done, the court can purchase up to 1.5 million to 2 million catties of cotton from the people."

"With the recycling of old cotton, we will still be short about 3 million kilograms to meet this year's winter needs."

Zhu Cilang nodded and continued:

"You don't need to worry about the missing three million catties of cotton."

"I have already discussed with the Zheng family that a batch of cotton will be transported from overseas, amounting to more than three million catties. This batch of cotton will arrive in the capital in about ten days at most."

"In this way, the problem of getting through the winter this year can be completely solved."

Ni Yuanlu and Li Banghua exchanged a glance, their faces showing surprise. Clearly, they hadn't expected that Zhu Cilang had anticipated the cotton shortage so early and had already purchased cotton from overseas.

In an instant, both of them showed relieved smiles, as if a huge weight had been lifted from their hearts.

This way, not only can all the soldiers get two new sets of cotton-padded clothes this year, but the people's winter needs can also be guaranteed.

Although this move was extremely costly, the Ming Dynasty at present could afford it financially.

After realizing what was happening, the two quickly cupped their hands again and said in unison:

"Your Highness is wise!"

Of course, the claim of transporting cotton from overseas was just something Zhu Cilang used to deceive them.

Firstly, Zhu Cilang had previously learned about the price of cotton overseas and found that the price of cotton overseas was actually not much different from that in the Ming Dynasty.

Secondly, transporting cotton from overseas takes at least two months round trip.

Two months later, the Ming Dynasty was already covered in ice and snow, and there was simply no time to spare.

Therefore, Zhu Cilang decided to exchange these three million catties of cotton from the system.

Moreover, he plans to exchange more, at least five million catties, to ensure that more people can get through this cold winter smoothly.

Based on the calculation that a typical cotton-padded coat contains five kilograms of cotton, this could save at least one million lives!

Any more than that won't do, because if there's too much, the market price of cotton will drop, and those farmers who used to grow cotton will give up growing it.

As a result, cotton production next year will inevitably be reduced significantly.

In short, exchanging supplies is a skill in itself!
It shouldn't be too much, nor too little!
Thinking about this, Zhu Cilang couldn't help but sigh.

Fortunately, he had the system; otherwise, he really wouldn't have been able to solve this predicament.

After all, being in the late Ming Dynasty, even as a time traveler, one cannot save the Ming Dynasty without using cheat codes!

Of course, even if the cotton problem was solved, it did not completely solve the problem of the people and soldiers getting through the winter.

In winter, besides needing to wear warm clothes, it's also necessary to cook over a fire.

At this point, fuel becomes the most important thing!
(End of this chapter)